Whitman College Launches Permanent Station Centered on Indigenous Foods

Lunchtime at Whitman’s Cleveland Commons dining hall on the day of their First Foods station launch.
Crowds of guests, both students and members of the public, lined up in Whitman College’s Cleveland Commons dining hall in early December to get a taste of smoked rainbow trout, roasted elk, root vegetables, and house-made frybread with huckleberry jam during the launch of Bon Appétit at Whitman’s First Foods station, a celebration of Indigenous cuisine that will be featured on the first Friday of the month going forward.
The First Foods station — likely one of the first of its kind on campuses across the United States — is a collaboration between Bon Appétit and the Native American Outreach office at Whitman. Jeanine Gordon, Special Assistant to the President for Native American Outreach, approached Bon Appétit General Manager Shannon Null last year about starting a First Foods station as part of the college’s overall initiative to build campus-wide programming around Indigenous affairs.
The goal is to raise awareness and visibility around Indigenous culture among Whitman’s students and staff, which helps build a welcoming and supportive environment for Native students. Whitman has partnered with Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) member Kristen Parr, Language Program Archival Specialist, and Althea Wolf, CTUIR member and Whitman College Adjunct Professor to help inform their efforts. CTUIR includes the Umatilla, Walla Walla, and Cayuse tribes, on whose Native land Whitman sits.
Shannon brought the idea to colleagues, who were excited to immerse themselves in the ingredients and techniques of the Indigenous cuisines of the region. “Our team immediately began the process of educating ourselves in regional Indigenous food and finding ways to source this food,” says Shannon. The chefs also participated in culinary training in partnership with the CTUIR First Foods Policy program.

Planks of smked trout, elk, and roasted vegetables on display for the First Foods station launch.
Careful planning went into sourcing, preparation, and presentation for the launch and will continue for the monthly station. Drawing from educational resources provided by CTUIR, the station will feature ingredients that reflect the ‘úyit hípt, úyit tkʷátat (First Foods) of the regional Native tribes, such as salmon, game, roots, and berries. Signage at the station will be in English as well as in the Native languages of the Weyíiletpuu and Imatalamłáma, the Cayuse/Nez Perce people and the Umatilla people.
Educational components will introduce guests to the foodways of the CTUIR, and share information about sustainability, the concept of the seasonal round which indicates when the tribes hunt, fish, and gather certain foods throughout the year. Other information to be shared will include CTUIR’s land management practices and climate action plan that supports responsible management, protection, and cultivation of Native foods.
The campus-wide efforts through the Native American Outreach office also include an annual First Foods Festival with workshops, panels, and film screenings. Plans are underway to plant a First Foods garden on campus, as well.
“I am so excited that Bon Appétit was eager to support the effort to bring awareness, education, and experience of our tribal culture to a higher level at Whitman College,” says Jeanine.